The Vale of White Horse. 369 



Tuesday is the day cliosen for the north (the Cots- 

 wold^ Heythrop and Cheltenham side of the country), 

 with its light plough uplands, but often leading to 

 lower ground and grass, as hounds draw or run, into 

 the Fairford neighbourhood. Among the meets are 

 Arlington Cross Eoads, with a wide choice of draw 

 between a number of small coverts — Bibury, for 

 instance, being a likely direction ; Barnsley or Ready 

 Token, with capital holding for foxes (which are 

 plentiful . enough all round) . Ampney Riding is a 

 favourite place, with two small coverts adjoining each 

 other — now looked after by Capt. Dansey but owing 

 all earlier reputation to the care of the Messrs. 

 Daniel. And Tuesday has generally the largest field 

 of the week. 



Wednesday and Friday share the centre of the 

 country, from corner to corner, between them. Once 

 a fortnight, a,t least, hounds work the home woods — 

 Sapperton, Pope's Seat, and Ten Rides being the 

 usual fixtures for the Sapperton and Oakley Woods. 

 Hailey Wood^though at one time under a ban, 

 appears now to have recovered its prestige — both Mr. 

 Hoare and the Duke having lost hounds there by 

 poison. Lord Bathurst is the mainstay and best 

 friend of the Hunt at Oakley and its neighbourhood 

 — doing everything possible in the interests of fox- 

 hunting. In the open country Siddington and Down- 

 Ampney are popular meets ; and the name of Mr. 

 Bowley should here be written down as an excellent 

 sportsman. Cricklade, with Tadpole to draw, is also 

 a place of mark ; and the same may be said of Hay- 

 lane Wharf, for Lord Bolingbroke's coverts and for 



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